Karlsson amused by links to Sens return: 'That's Canada for you'

Pittsburgh Penguins blue-liner Erik Karlsson doesn't seem too convinced by recent speculation linking him back to the Ottawa Senators.

"Yeah, that's Canada for you," he told reporters Thursday, including The Hockey News' Nick Horwat. "I played there for a long time so I kinda know how that game works. They've got a lot of things to talk about every day because they've got a lot of airtime, but very few things to actually discuss.

"They like to make up these what-if scenarios, and that's just the way it is. It's not something that I really look into or worry too much about."

Karlsson spent the first nine seasons of his NHL career with the Senators after Ottawa drafted him with the 15th overall pick in 2008. He skated in 627 games with the franchise and is still its all-time leader in goals (126) and points (518) among defensemen.

The Senators made the playoffs five times during Karlsson's tenure, including a trip to the conference finals in 2017. The puck-moving Swede amassed 18 points in 19 games and was a plus-13 during that particular run.

In a recent column, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wondered if the Senators would consider a Karlsson reunion because of his ties to Daniel Alfredsson. A fellow Swede, Alfredsson currently serves as an assistant coach in Ottawa and was a teammate of Karlsson for four seasons. The insider broached the topic again during Monday's edition of "32 Thoughts: The Podcast."

Though the Penguins have stumbled during Karlsson's first season in Pittsburgh, their flashy offseason addition leads the defense corps with eight goals and 44 points in 64 games.

The Senators were reportedly interested in adding veteran rearguard Chris Tanev as a foundational piece to aid their young blue line. The pending unrestricted free agent ended up getting traded to the Dallas Stars.

Karlsson has three more years remaining on his current deal, which includes a full no-move clause. His salary is $11.5 million, but the San Jose Sharks are retaining $1.5 million as part of the agreement that sent Karlsson to Pittsburgh in August.

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